‘We should have been 2-0 up,’ Jones said. ‘I don’t know what the referee and linesman were doing.

Either give the handball or give the
ball across line. This can’t keep going on. Referees are making too many
mistakes. Anyone who gets paid and earns a livelihood can’t make those
mistakes.

'They should be dropped down the leagues, visit a referee psychologist and have a good look at that. He has cost us the game.

‘I didn’t know the ball had crossed
the line at the time. But I could see the handball from 60 yards away.
If I can see it, the ref can see from 10 yards. We’ve seen the video and
it’s also over the line. I can see from the reaction of the players.
If he’s not given that, he’s got to give handball.’

It was put to Jones that some decisions were of Sunday league standard and he responded:

‘Probably that’s where he should be.
The FA will have a go at me for saying it. But if no-one speaks out and
they get away with it, it’s not acceptable. We go away with nothing and
that’s what kills me the most.’

Watford goalkeeper Jonathan Bond,
standing in for the injured Manuel Almunia, had a howler in the 19th
minute, scuffing Marco Cassetti’s back-pass to allow Michail Antonio to
run around him and tap the ball in.

But the 19-year-old keeper made up
for his mistake with a string of saves in the first half and — with
Buxton’s header not given — Watford boss Zola brought on Nathaniel
Chalobah and Fernando Forestieri at half- time to devastating effect.

The Argentine Forestieri struck
twice, first sliding in at the far post and then finishing in the bottom
right corner, to win the game.

‘The subs really made a big
difference,’ Zola said. ‘The two players gave us the extra quality to
edge it. Sometimes you need to change things.’

Watford moved into second place and
if they continue on their current form they do not look like
relinquishing the automatic promotion spot.